This is a new product from the brand, and it’s, in essence, a liquid lipstick. It’s supposed to be extremely pigmented, have a matte finish, and last 14 hours (with “continuous wear without flaking or dryness.” I’m usually impressed by Hourglass’ products, but I had a sinking feeling about the wear as soon as I read “14 hours.” That’s a really, really long-time for a lip product. Most (maybe all? I’m no cosmetic scientist) makeup breaks down with oil, which means eating oily food will contribute to faster breakdown of long-wearing products even in this kind of formulation.

Hourglass’ liquid lipstick creates a second-skin feel and look on the lips, almost like cling wrap but far more comfortable. The formula is one of the best-feeling I’ve worn to-date, because it’s not drying at all. I wore this shade for ten full hours, and I didn’t have to run for the lip balm, which is something I typically have to do with these formulas. It starts off glossy but sets after thirty seconds to a minute. I recommend trying to keep lips slightly parted while it’s drying, because as it drying, it gets a smidgen tacky, so it can cause unevenness if you press your lips together during the setting time. The color was totally opaque with one pull of product.

There was minor transfer throughout the day. I let it set for a full half hour before I tested it for transfer (note, the description of this product does not indicate it is transfer-free or -resistant), and there was a few stray marks on my coffee cup; very little but some. I put this on after breakfast around 10AM, then had lunch at 1PM, where there was some loss of color but it looked about 90% there. After eating dinner at 6PM, it had definitely worn away significantly and was flaking in places. I did not experience any feathering or bleeding, though. I did, unfortunately, find stray bits of lipstick on my teeth throughout the day, which is not normal standard operating procedure. It removed easily when I used my shu umeura cleansing oil to remove all of my makeup. There was no residual staining post-removal either, which is nice!

I recommend prepping lips for application; it’s not drying, but the matte finish is a less forgiving finish if you have any dry or flaking areas on your lips. It’s also imperative that you remove any lip balm that you may have been wearing prior to applying this–lip balm will absolutely impair the wear as well as the application, because it will cause uneven color and shorter wear. If you have dry lips, apply lip balm beforehand, let it sink in, and then blot. I always apply to the bottom lip first, and then the upper lip going around the cupid’s bow first. Then, I press lips together and look for any unevenness.

At best, this would wear better for eight to ten hours if you had a relatively oil-free meal (when I tested another shade of this formula, I timed it better and only had it on for one meal, so it lasted closer to 10 hours). It will last through many, many cups of whatever you happen to drink. Meals will test it, and the oilier the meal, the less likely it will make it to the end fully intact. I wish the claim wasn’t so extravagant–14 hours is a very long time!–because the way it looks at eight hours is discouraging (note, the brand said 14 hours of continuous wear).

The Glossover

At best, this would wear better for eight to ten hours if you had a relatively oil-free meal. It will last through many, many cups of whatever you happen to drink. Meals will test it, and the oilier the meal, the less likely it will make it to the end fully intact. It's comfortable to wear, hydrating, and fully opaque--it just doesn't last the full 14 hours as claimed.

Where to Buy

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